The question now for Alabama, though, is whether the pro-Trump forces that still represent a majority among Republicans represent a majority among voters at-large. Moore is the Republican nominee, but he still needs to win the general election against Democrat and former U.S. Attorney Doug Jones in December. Alabama is, of course, a very red state. Trump won it by 28 percentage points against Hillary Clinton in 2016, and no Democrat has won a Senate race in the state since 1992.
Still, Democrats are probably hoping that Moore’s candidacy gives Jones a chance. They can point to polling that has, at times, found Moore with only a single-digit lead over Jones. Additionally, Moore won his last statewide election in 2012 for the state supreme court by less than 4 percentage points, even as Republican Mitt Romney was winning over Democrat Barack Obama by over 20 points. Don’t be surprised if Jones receives a fundraising boost from Democrats nationwide looking to beat Trump, and expect some Democrats with potential presidential aspirations, like Joe Biden, to campaign for Jones in the fall.
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